Fall Creek is a navigable in law

waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, and a tributary of the White River. It is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed May 19, 2011 and has a watershed drainage area of in central Indiana before flowing into the White River in Indianapolis.Fall Creek Watershed and Geist Reservoir
from

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 38th-largest by area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 17th-most populous o ...

As it flows southwest, Fall Creek is the namesake of three townships in Indiana, in Henry County, Madison County, and then Hamilton County. Fall Creek Massacre - marker

Fall Creek begins near the town of

Honey Creek, Indiana Honey Creek is an unincorporated community in Fall Creek Township, Henry County, Indiana, United States. History Honey Creek was founded in 1858 near the stream from which it took its name. Geography Honey Creek is located at . Notable people ...

. Initially, it flows north, and crosses just into Delaware County, near Bell Creek, another tributary of the White River that joins the West Fork near Yorktown. Here, Fall Creek turns sharply to the southwest, crossing near Middletown. Tributaries in Henry County include Honey Creek and Sugar Creek. In Madison County, Fall Creek joins with Sly Fork in Adams Township. In Pendleton, the creek joins Prairie Creek, and forms the basis of the Fall Creek Park of . Here, on January 12, 1825, the first execution of a white man for crimes against

Native Americans in the United States Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United States are ...

was held when James Hudson was hanged for his role in the Fall Creek Massacre of 1824. Fall Creek was named for the waterfall near Pendleton. Three small waterfalls are found in succession at the park, and at points the creek becomes wide and shallow enough to nearly walk across. Fall Creek is then joined by Fosters Branch and Lick Creek. Fall Creek is joined by Lick Creek just over the Hamilton County line. It crosses the southeast corner of Hamilton County through

Geist Reservoir Geist Reservoir is a reservoir in the northeastern part of metropolitan Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It was constructed in 1943 by damming Fall Creek to provide water for Indianapolis. Upon completion, Geist Reservoir was the second-lar ...

. The reservoir is created and maintained by a dam in Marion County. In Hamilton County, Fall Creek is joined by Flatfork Creek, Thorpe Creek, Thor Run, Mount Zion Branch, Bee Camp Creek, and Bills Branch. Fall Creek at Fort Harrison

Below the reservoir, the creek continues, and flows through Fort Harrison State Park, where pedestrian nature trails follow the course of the creek. Beyond the park, a paved trail follows the creek through Indianapolis. Fall Creek is dammed again in Indianapolis, at Keystone Avenue (just downstream from where Binford Boulevard diverges from Fall Creek Parkway, North Drive at Allisonville Road). At downtown Indianapolis, Fall Creek actually crosses the

Indiana Central Canal The Indiana Central Canal was a canal intended to connect the Wabash and Erie Canal to the Ohio River. It was funded by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, Indiana's attempt to take part in the canal-building craze started by the Erie Cana ...

before emptying into the White River at 10th Street and White River Parkway, near the campus of

and across the street from the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

hospital. Indianapolis is a planned city and was purposely located near the confluence of Fall Creek and the White River; Fall Creek provided water power for early industrial development in the city. According to data from the USGS station at 16th Street in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...

, the creek measures approximately 345 cubic feet per second. Fall Creek was known in the Miami Language as "Chank-tun-onn-gi" and in the Delaware Language as "Sokpehllak" Beaver activity along Fall Creek Bike Path

Beaver activity along Fall Creek Bike Path

References

External links

Fall Creek in Indiana
Indianapolis Greenways

{{authority control Rivers of Indiana Tributaries of the Wabash River Rivers of Madison County, Indiana Rivers of Henry County, Indiana Rivers of Marion County, Indiana Rivers of Hamilton County, Indiana Rivers of Delaware County, Indiana

See also

References

External links